This Is Life
by Gia'sUniverse
Summary: Tori Vega was a legal secretary struggling to make ends meet, and after the death of her parents and the birth of her niece, life was far from simple. Just when she thought things couldn't get any worse, a chance encounter with a group of misfits saw her sucked into their unforgiving world of teenage drama, and life would never be the same. Eventual Jade/Tori. Rated T for now.
1. West Legal

_AN: Hi guys, this is an idea I've had for a while, and I've finally decided to do something with it (yay). I tried to post it last night, but things went all goofy on the server. Tried again today, and it went super-spaz on me :/. So, attempt #3. If this doesn't stay where I put it, I think I may cry._

_I've inserted an OC, who's backstory will be revealed as the story progresses... But as I'm a lazy bitch, I'm letting you know now that she is 17, goes to HA (soon-to-be-senior) and is good friends with Jade & Beck. André has a crush on her, and Cat thinks she's scary because of her piercings, though both get along with her, and function 'normally' around her. Her name's Marlene 'Marley' Bradford, she's 5"8, blonde, has grey eyes, is slender, and rather androgynous looking. She's known the gang (excluding Tori) for 8 months._

_Moving on. For the sake of this story, the following is 100% true:_

_• Tori's 19, Trina's 23, and the rest of the gang are 15._

_• Tori never transferred from Sherwood High to Hollywood Arts._

_• Trina went to HA, but because she's 8 years older than them, she never met Cat, Jade or Beck in school._

_• As for Robbie, he won't be in this. Sorry -kinda, but not really- I don't like him, so he never existed._

_• Holly & David Vega died when their car hydroplaned in 2009._

* * *

><p><strong><em>December 23rd 2012<em>**

_**8:56am**_

"Trinaaa! Come be with your kid, I need to get to work!" I call out of the window to my sister, who's busy chatting away to some gross dude in the street below.

Trina turns around, and even 20 feet up I can see the scowl on her face. "Gimme five minutes!" She yells back in annoyance, and then continues her overly-flirtatious conversation.

I look at the time on my phone and huff. "I'm going to be late if I don't leave like, now! And I'm the only one bringing in any money around here, so if I get fired, you're homeless too!" I shout in accusatory manner.

Trina grumbles and stomps her feet. She twists her foot in her ridiculously high stiletto and yelps, which scares the dude off, and I can't help but snigger. That's what happens when you act like a child.

"I'm leaving right now!" I warn her, and promptly allow the window to fall shut with a thud.

Of course I don't actually leave my niece alone in our apartment, and I wait for my sister in the doorway. I hear Trina's shoes clacking as she makes her way up the stairs, and when she hobbles around the corner she sarcastically mutters, "Thanks a lot sis."

I walk over to her, give her a kiss on the cheek, and then slap the keys into her hand. In return she gives me a 'sisterly' punch in the arm, and a "Be safe."

"I'll be back at four!" I let her know as I rush down the stairs. I throw my hand over my mouth when I realise how loud that was, and somebody upstairs shouts, "Shut the fuck up!"

Before I leave the front door I can hear Trina bickering away, telling the disgruntled tenant to never talk to her sister like that; unless they wanted to feel her wrath. If I were them, I would listen to her.

I smile as I jog across the road to my car, knowing that I'm loved by at least one person in this world. And even though she makes me utterly miserable sometimes, and she comes across as completely self-absorbed, I really am lucky to have a sister like Trina. Because she's always looking out for me as well as herself.

_Bzzzzzzzzz Bzzzzzzzzz Bzzzzzzz_

I lift my phone to my ear, and answer "Hello?"

"It's Nick. Where are you Tori? You're shift starts NOW!" my boss's assistant yaps at me, and I roll my eyes.

"Sorry Nick, I'm in the car. I'll be there in, five, ten, fifteen minutes. Bye," I say quickly, and hang up before he can say anything more.

I sigh as I start the car and begin my journey to work. I'm totally going to be fired. Everybody else at the firm already have no faith in me because 'she's only nineteen', and they've stereotyped me as an immature/unreliable/lazy person; a typical teenager... Me being late for the 5th time this month is just going to reinforce that in their minds, but if I say 'it's all my sisters fault', I'll sound like even more of a flake than I already seem. Whatever I do, I'm pretty sure I'm going to lose.

* * *

><p><strong><em>9:26am<em>**

_Bzz Bzz_

I add the finishing touches to my makeup - black eyeliner & mascara - and then lift my PearPhone from my dresser to read my latest text.

_[Sender: Beck] We're outside babe, you ready? xx_

'_Coming now_' I type, and click send.

I look at myself in the mirror and examine my reflection. Last week I had streaks of red dye put in my hair because Cat had been bugging me about it for weeks. 'It'll be awesome!' she said, 'I know how to dye hair,' she said... Well, at least now I know for the future that Cat can not dye hair, and never to trust her when it comes to enhancing my appearance - ever. It looks like a strawberry and orange smoothie vomited on my highlights; they're most definitely not red. The only reason I haven't stripped them already is because I promised that I'd keep them until after Christmas, and I never break my promises.

I spritz myself with a CK cologne that Beck left at mine, then chuck my phone in my bag and sling it over my shoulder. I walk up my *baseroom steps and flick the switch to the a quartz-fireplace, then slowly open the door. I listen for a moment to make sure mom and Caleb aren't near by, take a deep breath, and then I sprint. I sprint through the hallway and the kitchen, around the 'family'-room, past daddy's abandoned office, into the fucking huge garden, and then out onto street where Marley's car is waiting with the engine running.

Just as I begin to slow down my pace, the car starts to move, and Marley yells, "Catch me if you can!"

Knowing that she's not kidding in the slightest, I pick up speed and run until I catch up near the corner, and when she stops, she's in stitches. I get in and sit on Beck's lap, resting my body on my legs until I catch my breath. Without turning around, Marley casually remarks "You run like a motherfucker on a mission."

"Bitch," I say breathily, and prod the back of her neck.

"Takes one to know one, freak," she shoots back playfully.

I allow a rare chuckle to escape my lips, and I find the corners of my lips turning upwards in a contented smirk. I like Marley's company; she understands me - unlike pretty much everybody else I know... She's cool.

Beck stroking my cheek makes me forget what I was about to say, and I turn to look at his pretty face. He leans forwards and presses his lips against mine for a quick kiss, but I grasp his head in my hands and pin him to the headrest, plunging my tongue into his mouth. He tastes like something sweet and God, his lips are soft. His technique _is_ a bit sloppy, but I really couldn't care less, because that will only get better with experience. Without breaking contact, I manoeuvre myself so that I'm on my knees, straddling Beck, and I take full control of the situation. I start gently rocking my hips so that I'm rubbing over his thighs, and soon find a rhythm that feels nice. Eventually I need some air, and the very moment I lift my head, a rather loud moan decides to escape my lips.

. . . . . .

"Oi!"

I spin my head around and stare at the back of Marley's head, breathing heavily. "What?!" I snap.

"Cupcake and saxophone incoming," she announces, and I look out the window.

I didn't even realise the car had stopped...

As André and Cat make there way from his grandmother's house into the street, I dismount Beck and sit cross-legged in the middle seat, casually readjusting my corset and skirt.

A few seconds later, André hops in the front seat, and Cat joins me and Beck in the back, sitting with her her legs over my lap and her feet on Beck's. "Hi! Hello. How are you Jadey?" she greets cheerfully, embracing me in a far too tight hug that I only tolerate because she's been my best-friend since before I could talk.

I reply, "I'm great, and you?"

"I'm fantabulous thanks! It's Christmas-eve-eve!" she exclaims, smiling from ear to ear.

"I know, how exciting," I utter, playing with the frilly hem of her dress absentmindedly. Talking to Cat is like talking to a child; so sweet and innocent. I'll ever admit it out loud, but I really do enjoy her exuberant company.

She squeals, "Very exciting." And starts stroking my hair tentatively. "Your hair looks... _Nice_," she whispers, her bottom lip quivering and eyebrows twitching. That was a lie.

"It looks _dreadful_," Marley interjects brusquely.

"Mmm-hmm," André hums in agreement, and I punch his shoulder. Hard.

"Hey. What was that for?" He questions; like he doesn't know.

"You said my hair looks dreadful!"

André looks at me like a deer caught in headlights. "No I didn't, she did!" he replies, pointing at Marley.

I say, "You agreed with her." And Beck and Cat nod in agreement with me.

"But sh-" he begins.

"B, but she's allowed to say that. _You_ are not. Got it?" I ask calmly. André nods his head and quickly turns around. That was the right choice.

"So, why exactly are we going to West Legal, babe?" Beck asks curiously. I hate being called babe. It reminds me of that talking pig. Do I look like a talking pig? No! So don't call me that...

"Babe?" He questions.

I grit my teeth.

"To cause havoc," I mutter.

"What?" "Huh,"

"_Havoc_," I reiterate, louder and clearer this time, smirking at the thought of it.

Daddy's going to regret the day that he screwed me over...

* * *

><p><em><span>AN<span>: In the next chapter, Tori will meet Jade & her gang at the law firm... That'll be interesting._

_NOTE: The endgame for this story is definitely Jade & Tori romance, but how long it'll take to get there, and what'll happen before then, is anybodies guess... So if you're looking for some tru-Jori-lurve to prevail & quickly, then I suggest you go and look elsewhere. There are going to be several storylines going on in this fic, and it won't necessarily revolve around Jade & Tori & Romance. However, most of the chapters will be told from their POV's._

_*baseroom: basement/bedroom. A word used by Jade._

**_I hope you all had a great holiday season, and have a fantastic 2015_****_! Until next time :) ~ With Love, Gia._**


	2. A Year's Pay

_**9:54am**_

I'm on the 22nd floor, sitting at the end of a large rectangular table. I've been transcribing a divorce agreement on my work laptop for the last forty-five minutes, trying to type as quietly as possible. Much to my relief, everything's been going smoothly, and things are now coming to an end. I don't take my eyes off the screen as I listen to the conversation and type up the last details.

. . . . . .

"And with that, our meeting has come to a conclusion," Amy - one of many lawyers - announces, and stands up.

Everybody shakes hands, exchanges pleasantries, and then files out of the room. Left alone with nothing but my thoughts, I sigh and rub my temples with my thumb and index finger.

I'm so stressed out, and my body's aching, especially my hands. Being a secretary is so much harder than I thought it'd be.

"Victoria,"

I recognise the voice instantly as Richard West's, and having only seen him personally once in my year of employment (at my interview), knowing the man is standing behind me catches me off guard. I hastily stand up and turn around, collecting my thoughts. "Sir," I utter as professionally as possible, offering him my hand.

He gestures no in an obnoxious manner, and I hide my hand behind my back. Before I can ask why he's here, he says, "A little birdie told me that you were late for work today, _again_."

_Nick!_ A feeling of dread washes over me, and my stomach churns. "I'm so so sorry sir... I tried my best to be on time, but obviously my best wasn't good enough, and I would promise that it'll never happen again, but I can't do that becau-," I stop the word vomit from pouring out of my mouth, and take a deep breath.

_Keep yourself together Tori._

"Yes sir, I was late. Sorry," I mutter, trying to avoid his steely gaze.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to fire you," he begins. _Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you._ He continues with, "But." _There's always a god-damn but._ "I'm docking your pay, and I shall be keeping a close eye on you," he finishes. _Oh..._

"Yes sir," I say again, and with that, he leaves.

I watch him walk around the corner and into the elevator, and when he turns around, he's glaring at me in a way that screams 'don't fuck up'. I nod, and when the metal doors close, I gulp and allow myself to breathe properly.

After freaking out and cooling off, I make my way to the front desk to talk to Angie - this floor's receptionist. Angie's the same age as me, and she's pretty much the only person around here who treats me like a human being and doesn't infantilise me every chance she gets. She's decent.

"What did you do?" she asks curiously. Angie's also a gossip.

"Nothing, um, but my pays been docked. Can you check how much by?" I enquire sheepishly, avoiding the judging glances of other staff members who saw the boss talking to me.

"Oh, sweetie, I'm sorry, let me check for you," she replies, typing away on her computer's bulky keyboard. After a moment she looks up and says "Um, indefinitely by fifty percent..."

That was like a punch in the gut. "What, can he even do that?" I question frantically, trying not to throw up.

"Well, he just did, so it seems so," Angie answers sympathetically.

"Thanks," I barely manage to whisper before I rush to the elevator.

I can't live on $800 a month! That's not even enough for rent, let alone food, running-water, electricity, medications, and all the other essentials... What on earth am I gonna do. I look at the light panel on the elevator and see that it's about to stop on the ground floor, and like every day, I collect myself just long enough to make it out of the front doors before I break down crying.

The blurred noise outside in the real world is strangely soothing. And I sneak around the back of the building unnoticed. This is my spot, where I can slowly slide down the wall until I land on my butt with a thump, and just hang my head between my knees. I need to focus on getting through this. I need to prove that I'm worth keeping as an employee, and I need to get back to full-pay. Quickly.

"You look like shit,"

I look up and there's a tall girl standing beside me. I know she was definitely talking to me because I'm the only one here, but I'm pretty sure I would remember if I'd ever spoke to a girl with face piercings and blue highlights before. I don't know who she is. I look at her confused, and I'm about to say something when I hear heavy footsteps coming around the corner. A girl with black and pink hair appears, looks at me, and then at her friend. "She does look like shit," she agrees, chuckling lightly.

Usually I'd protest, but right now, I don't care. I really don't care. As I begin to stand up, the blonde one reaches out her hand to help me up. I take the offer and I'm surprised at how strong her pull is for such a lithe person.

I look between the pair of them, and ask "What do you want?"

"That doesn't matter. What we want to know is what do you want?" The goth asks ominously.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I question. _I'm confused._

"Lol. She sounds like cupcake!" blondie exclaims, and goth laughs. _What's cupcake?_

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?!" A squeaky voice yells, and I look up to see bright red hair and brown eyes peeping above the bushes. _That must be Cupcake._

"Nothing Cat," goth calls back. _Or Cat?_

"Okay, what's going on?!" I shout. I don't have time for whatever this is.

"Well, we saw you crying, and you were walking out of west legal, your hiding behind the building, and well, like we've already established, you look like shit," blondie says bluntly.

"And?" _Where are they going with this._

"I'm guessing you've been fired, or something of the sorts?" goth says, smirking as she looks me up and down.

"How did y-" I begin, but I'm cut of by blondie who says, "Somebody's always being fired around here."

"I didn't get fired!" I yell frustratedly. I don't know who these people are, and I need to get back to work.

"If you haven't been fired, why're you crying. Can't handle life?" goth teases, her voice somewhat intimidating.

"What do you want from me?"

Blondie replies, "Your keycard."

"That's never going to happen," I say, and try and walk away. I don't like where this is going at all.

Blondie puts her arm out and pushes me back. "Oh, I think you'll find it will," she whispers.

I huff, and take a deep breath. "How so?" I ask. I'm angry now.

"You want something," goth states.

"Huh?" I breathe, looking at blondie for the next answer.

Breaking their back and forth pattern, goth says, "You wouldn't be crying if your life was complete."

"Okayyyy." This is getting stranger and stranger.

"Which means your missing something that you desperately need or want. What do you want?" blondie asks, cocking her head.

"The ten-thousand-dollars that've been docked from my salary," I mutter sarcastically, checking the time on my phone. _I'm leaving_.

"Done," goth remarks.

"Yeah right," I say, and begin to walk away again.

"Let's make it fifteen," blondie says, pulling me back by my jacket.

"You're crazy," I mutter, turning around to scowl at them.

"Fifteen-thousand-dollars. Will you help us if I give you fifteen thousand dollars?" goth asks. She sounds completely serious.

"If you _had_ fifteen-thousand-dollars, I might consider it," I admit, musing at the silly idea. These people are younger than me, they don't have that kind of money... _I sure wish I did though_.

"Cupcake!" blondie hollers.

I look up and see red hair, a skinny arm, a blue duffle bag, and then there's a thud. Blondie kicks the bag towards me and I look at it. This is some kind of stupid prank. It has to be.

"Open it," goth demands, her tone leaving little room for argument.

I kneel down and slowly unzip the bag, 100% sure that I'll be met by paper or trash. To my surprise the first thing I see is green, and I gasp when I realise the entire bag is full. This is real money. Lots of it.

"Fifteen-thousand, hard cash. It's yours if you help us," blondie says persuasively, and the money _is_ rather alluring. It's like a dream that's too good to be true.

After a moments consideration, I realise that it probably is too good to be true, and that there might be consequences if I except their offer. What can my keycard possibly do that's worth so much money. I mean, it can't be anything good. I'll lose my job if they do anything stupid, and they're teenagers, so they _will_ do something stupid. But the money... It's $5,000 more than I'll be paid next year if I stay employed at half-pay, so there's no harm in accepting it and getting fired, right? Okay, so there maybe some harm it.

_THUD_

"Another ten," goth says.

I look at the second bag in disbelief. "You're kidding me, right?"

"Nope," blondie answers, smiling.

"That's gotta be what, a year's pay? If I were you, I'd take it," goth says, her eyes sparkling with something; sadistic joy maybe...

That is a lot of money. It's more than a year's full-pay actually, and I could really use it right now. But there's a voice in the back of my head whispering 'you're a good girl'. Eughh. Why does weird shit always happen to me.

I look at my phone and realise I'm late back from break, and I say, "I have to go!" as I get up from my crouching position.

Blondie grabs my hand and writes something in biro, whilst goth instructs, "Make your mind up by lunchtime."

The second blondie lets go of my hand, I literally push past her, and run back around the building, hoping I won't get in even more trouble for being late twice in one day. A hopeless-hope really.

_$25,000 for my keycard..._

* * *

><p><em><strong>10:17am<strong>_

"She's definitely coming back," Marley remarks as we get back into her car.

"I don't like this," Cat grouses, pouting like a duck.

"How're you sure she's not going to tell on us?" André asks. '_T__ell on us_', really?! The people I hang out with are such big children.

"I still don't think this is a good idea, babe," Beck interjects, stroking my arm.

"Did I ask you what you think, _babe_. No! Why, because I really don't care," I snap, swatting him away.

Beck puts his hands up, and I shut my eyes. "I'm sorry," I whisper under my breath.

"What was that?" he asks. He's got another thing coming if he thinks I'll say it again.

"Dude, just leave it," Marley says. _Thank-you Marley!_

"Yeah dude, not cool," André agrees; completely under Marley's spell. And it takes all of my willpower to not lash out at him.

"So what're we doing next?" Cat asks, changing the subject - much to my delight.

I stroke her hair and ask her what she wants to do. "Yotally togurt!" she squeals. "Then to yotally togurt it is," I say, and Marley nods, starting the engine and turning up the radio.

* * *

><p><em><span>AN<span>: So, the fun hasn't yet begun. It'll all kick off next chapter._

_I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I want to say thank-you-so-much to everybody who's reviewed and followed this story. It's the first I've ever published, so it really means a lot to me :3 I don't quite know when the next chapter will be up, but it'll be soon. _**_~ With Love, Gia_**


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